Address: 4329 Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago.
Size: Five bedrooms, 3 baths.
Rent: $1,350 a month.
Security deposit: One month’s rent.
Utilities: Resident pays gas and electricity.
It’s tempting to reach outside the bay window of this spacious apartment in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood to touch the green leaves of a mature tree standing in the building’s front yard.
The fluttering leaves and sturdy branches can make you think for a moment that you’re in a tree house. But this is a far cry from some rickety perch nailed to tree branches. This is, instead, an extremely spacious, five-bedroom apartment that is on the second floor of an elegant graystone decorated with classical columns on its facade.
The building, constructed in the 1920s, stands on Martin Luther King Drive, a boulevard that has some run-down properties as well as many that are being rehabbed.
This apartment is in fine condition, with many of its original charms remaining, including two fireplaces, wood trim throughout and decorative ceiling ornaments.
There is plenty of room for greeting guests in the unit’s entry foyer, which is 100 square feet. There’s even a spot for them to sit on an original, built-in wooden bench. This dark wood bench is topped by three windows and fills one wall.
Some might prefer to sit in the living room, which is just next door. This 22-by-16-foot room is also where the bay window with the view of the tree may be seen. The foliage is dense enough that one need not even consider putting curtains or shades on this bank of three large windows.
The living room features a glass chandelier hanging from the center of a decorative ceiling ornament. The room, which is carpeted in beige, is separated from the foyer by a pocket door.
That, however, is not the only pocket door to be seen in this apartment. Another one separates the living room from an adjacent room, which might be used as a den, a family room or a bedroom.
This room, which also overlooks the building’s front, is about three-fourths the size of the living room. It includes a gas fireplace and a door that leads to a terrace overlooking the hustle and bustle of Martin Luther King Drive.
This sturdy terrace would be the spot to linger on a summer day. When it’s cold outdoors, you could stay inside and enjoy a fire in the fireplace. The hearth is decorated with original, pale yellow tile. Should this space be used as a bedroom, there is a large closet here for storing clothes.
Returning to the living room and then to the foyer, one comes upon a long hallway that leads to the rest of the bedrooms, the dining room and the kitchen.
Just beyond the foyer, however, is another large room that also might serve as a family room or office. It measures 14 by 14 feet and includes a large window. There is another fireplace here that is much like the other one except that the tile here is pale green.
The largest of the bedrooms is just a few feet away. Measuring 14 by 16 feet, it has ample space for a king-size bed.
There’s a double window, a large closet and, in one corner, a small sink with a mirror above it. This sink hardly seems sufficient for washing up, but it might be a handy spot to get a glass of water in the middle of the night.
For more serious washing up, there are two bathrooms just down the hallway. Perhaps the close proximity of these two bathrooms is not the best of layouts, but each has features that makes it stand out.
One bathroom has a shower; the other has a whirlpool bathtub. The room with the tub also has an oak vanity topped with a mirror and Hollywood lights.
The smaller bathroom has the shower and a small, white sink. Both have white tile floors.
Another bedroom is a few feet from these bathrooms. It measures 14 by 16 feet and features a large window and closet.
The next room to be seen is the dining room. Measuring 22 by 14 feet, its size alone makes it seem formal.
A bank of three windows lets sun brighten a space that would easily accommodate an eight-seat dining table, buffet and china cabinet.
Beyond the dining room are two more bedrooms. The first (14 by 10 feet) is just before the entryway to the kitchen. It has a window in one corner and a walk-in closet.
The last of the bedrooms is located off of the kitchen. It measures 12 by 15 feet and abuts a third bathroom, which features a white tile floor, a pedestal sink and an old-fashioned, claw-foot tub.
The spacious 100-square-foot kitchen does not come equipped with any appliances, so anyone considering this apartment would have to be prepared to supply their own stove and refrigerator.
The kitchen does, however, offer updated light oak cabinets, cream-colored counters and a window.
Leading into the kitchen is a 15-by-6 area with a spacious counter that would lend itself to several uses. Used as a bar, it is large enough to hold an assortment of liquors, cans of soft drinks, glassware and accoutrements.
The household chef might appreciate this space for rolling dough or storing a mixer, blender and Cuisinart.
The last room of this apartment is the heated sun porch, which is 9 by 12 feet. This room has a practical cream linoleum floor and a row of three windows, which would make it a lovely place to grow plants.
Soiled gardening gloves could be laundered in the building’s basement, which contains a clothes washer and dryer.
For rental information, call 773-233-7697.
